Summer Is Over
by Skysong
Summary: Their one summer was real . . . magical. But now its over. One shot. Please R&R!


A/N: This is a one-shot, bit of a triangle sort of love affair matter. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all characters etc. The story line is mine.

**Summer Is Over**

It had been a whirlwind summer. The quiet moments hidden at dances, the long walks along the wall, snatching quick kisses whenever they were alone. It had been romantic. He had bought her gifts and told her wild stories. And he made her feel like a woman.

Despite this, she had her doubts about their love. She was practical, and had a lot of common sense, and above all she wanted to continue her studies. She made the mistake of discussing it with him, and felt his wrath properly for the first time in since they had met.

"_What do you mean? How could you say that? I am one of the most famous mages alive, and I've chosen you!"_

"_Of course, I'm sorry I brought it up."_

He had fumed for about an hour. He was sorry afterwards of course and they made up. But the incident always played on her mind, and she found it harder and harder to keep her romance from her family. Sometimes she thought they may have guessed that something was wrong.

"_What's tearing at you, kid?" Briar had asked. _

"_Nothing, I'm fine. Just leave me alone!"_

The denial had torn at her insides. But theirs was a secret romance, no one could know.

"_You must never tell anyone," he had whispered into her ears the first night they spent together. "It must be our secret."_

Wanting to please the first man who had accepted her properly, she immediately agreed that it would be secret.

And then he had uttered those magical words.

"_I love you"_

She had fallen into his arms as soon as he said it, as happy as she had ever been, hoping beyond hope that their love would last forever. And then all at once he was gone.

As she stared out the window, looking out into the garden, she thought about what had taken place. Finding his body lying lifeless in his study, screaming the dormitory down until someone came, throwing her lightning magic into his body in an attempt to revive him. Watching while the Dedicates of the Fire Temple built a funeral pyre, and placed him on top. Listening while Lark and Rosethorn spoke the ancient funeral rites; watching his lifeless body burn as his soul flew away to the afterlife.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily as she realised that someone was standing at her door.

"How you doing, Coppercurls?" Briar asked.

He walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into his eyes and, finding reassurance there, laid her head on his shoulder as she wept. He held her calmly, speaking soothingly into her ear.

"I loved him, Briar. Why did he have to go?" she asked.

Briar's eyebrows shot up.

"Why did who have to go?"

Tris lifted her head off his shoulders and looked at him scathingly.

"Niko. Where have you been, Briar? He's dead, remember? I loved him, we spent the summer together, and he's gone."

Tears spilt out of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. Briar looked at her pityingly.

It had been four long years since Tris had been attacked by a stronger mage and suffered terrible brain injuries. She had been caught in the past ever since, reliving events and scenarios over and over again. The healers had said that as long as she kept taking the medications they prescribed she would be fine. But often she wouldn't take them, or she would forget. And then Briar would come and find her in this state and wonder if it was worth it.

But then he would look into her stormy eyes, his heart would beat a little faster, and he would remember that it was worth it just to look into those eyes. He remembered the day when she had been attacked, the day she hadn't recognised any of them, not him, not Sandry, not Daja. He remembered that only a few days later Niko had died in mysterious circumstances never resolved. He remembered how she hadn't cared until about a month later, when she realised that Niko wasn't coming back and how devastated she was that her love had died with it. And he remembered the vow he made, to protect Tris from harm until the day he died. To protect her because he hadn't done so before and it had taken her away from him, too far to get her back.

Briar sighed softly and gently steered her away from the window and over to the door.

"Summer is over, Coppercurls. Time to come back to the real world."

A/N: Hope you liked it, I know it was a little on the abstract side. It definitely wasn't like this when I first wrote it, but I got inspired. And now that you've finished reading it, hit that little button down the bottom of the screen, it says 'Review'! I'd love to hear from you!

Skysong


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